Improvement in clothes-line operators



CHARLES BARRONQOF LA rarnrrn, isolana'.

Letters Patent No. 108,431, dated, October 18, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTHES-LINE OPERATORS.

The Schedule referred 5to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, .CHARLES BARRON, of'La Fayette, iu the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain Improvements in Clothes-Line Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Nature md Objects of the Invention..

.My invention relates to the combination of a movable support, sliding vertically within or upon a fixed central post or standard, with clothes-lines or cords stretched so as to intersect the same from posts tixed on either side thereof, for the purpose of raising and lowering said line, the object of my invention being toa-lord, with economy of space, a ready means ot' raising clothes-lines, when lled with clothes, high above he ground, so as to place them above the reach of anything injurious thereto, and, by 'exposing them more fully to the sun and to the currents of the atmosphere, facilitate their bleaching and drying.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is a view' in perspective of my apparatus complete with the lines elevated.

Figure 2 is a central vertical sectionthrough the centra-l post or standard, illustrating the deviceffor elevating the lines.

General Description.

A is the central post or standard of my apparatus.

B is a transverse bar, sliding vertically in a vertical slot, a, out down centrally in the post A.

C G are faceplates at each end of the bar B, which bear against opposite sides of the post A, ou the exterior thereof.

' D, iig. 2, is a friction-roller or pulley, arranged in the slot a, near the upper end of the post A, and over the transversemovable bar B.

E is a windlass, secured upon the post A, sudieiently near the bottom thereof to be within easy reach of the operator. This windlass is operated by a crank, and inclosed in a box, to protect it and the cord 'thereon from the weather- Fis a cord or rope, extending up from the windlass over the pulley D, and down to the slide B, toA which its end is secured, as fully illustrated in iig. 2- of the drawing.

Thus, 'by turning the windlass-crank and winding the cord F upon its drum, the slide B and its outer thee-plates C C are elevated in the slot a to the top of the post. By reversing 4the wiudlass, and consequently loosening the cord F, the slide B will drop by its own weight.

G G G Gr are tour posts, (of such length as to place their tops within easy reach of a man or womam) fixed in the ground at points asnearly as possible equidistant from each other and from'the central post A.

H H are clotlles-linesor cords, each secured to said posts at one end, and to tho slide-plates C G at the other, r \vhich, secured at one end to the post, pass through eyes or staples on the slide-plates C C, and are secured at the other to the opposite post, as illustratcd in the drawing.

rlhe cords or clothes-lines H Hare left of such length as to admit of being elevated, by the elevation of the plates C C, to any desired height of which the central post will admit.

To fill the lines with the clothes to `be dried, the slide B and its plates O G are lowered by a reverse movement of` the windlass, until the entire length of the lines H are within.easy reach, when they are lilled; the slide-plates G C are elevated as described,

carrying up the ends of the lines secured thereto, thus tighten-ing them and lifting the clothes to a proper height above the ground.

lt is evident thatthe number of outer posts, G G, may be varied at pleasure, and that `other Points of attachment for the outer ends of the lines H may-be employed, iusteadof single posts, as described.

Also, that the mechanical device for elevating the slide-.plate or bar to which the inner ends of the lines are secured, may be changed, and a rac-k and pinion, for instance, substituted for a. cord and windlass, without departing from the spirit and intent of my invention.

A The crank, when the clothes are drawn up, maybe fastened and kept from turning back, either by means of a' pawl engaging aratehet-whcel on'the end of the windlass, or by means of a simple pin.

The advantages of this apparatus for securing clotheslines are evident. The lines are let down to withinreach of the person' hanging out the clothes, by a simple motion ot'n't-he crank, and then all the lines are raised atonce high above the. reach of children or grown persons, by a reverse motion of the crank.

I claim as my invention- Y The. combination of the vertically-moving slide or support B, with 'the central post A, and with two or more cords or' lines H H, stretched from opposite posts, G G,vto intersect the same, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

' lVitness my hand to this specification. Y

' C. BARRON.

Witnesses J osnrn OD'nLL, BEN. B. Bannon. 

